COMPETITIONS

UW competes in four national competitions for excellence in trial advocacy, environmental law, oral advocacy, and client counseling.  This provides students an excellent opportunity to develop and be recognized for outstanding skills as individuals and as a team.

BOARD OF ADVOCATES

Supporting Student Competitions
President, Aaron Marcoux

Congratulations to UW law student Aaron Marcoux (Class of 2010) who was chosen as the President for the 2009-2010 Board of Advocates!  Four vice-presidents were selected to head up the four areas of competition at the law school:

Marca Tanner - Pace Environmental Moot Court
Christyne Martens - Rothgerber, Johnson & Lyons Trial Advocacy
Liz Bellamy - Pence & MacMillan Client Counseling
Kerry Luck-Torry - Brown, Drew & Massey Moot Court

The Board of Advocates is a student organization responsible for organizing, coordinating, and publicizing the in-school competitions for the four competitions.  The Vice-Presidents for each competition lead the organization of their respective events, make travel arrangements for winning teams, and are responsible for media relations.

ROTHGERBER, JOHNSON & LYONS TRIAL ADVOCACY COMPETITION

Vice President, Christyne Martens

The Rothgerber Johnson & Lyons Trial Advocacy Competition is sponsored by the regional law firm of Rothgerber Johnson & Lyons LLC.  The competition is designed to encourage the development of trial skills in all aspects of civil trials.  The winners of the intra-school competition go on to compete in the regional competition sponsored by the Association of Trial Lawyers of America.  The goal of the national competition is to inspire excellence in trial advocacy through training and education for both law students and practicing attorneys.  This is an exceptional opportunity for law students to develop and practice their trial advocacy skills before distinguished members of the bar and bench.

2009 - 2010 Finalists

First Place Team: April Christensen, Kara Hunter,  Ronnie Lopez, and Anne Davey

Second Place Team: Kevin Daniels, Ryan Polk, Joleen Mossoni, and Kevin Walton

PACE ENVIRONMENTAL MOOT COURT COMPETITION

Vice President, Marca Tanner

UW students have competed in the National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition sponsored by Pace University School of Law since 1990.  The competition requires students to argue an environmental case from three viewpoints: the government/regulator, the regulated industry, and the citizen public interest group.  The national law firm of Holland & Hart sponsors the intra-school competition.  The national  competition is sponsored annually by the Pace Law School's Environmental Moot Court Board in collaboration with the Environmental Law Institute in Washington, D.C., and Texaco Inc. In the past, law students have argued on environmental topics ranging from illegal dumping to personal liability for violation by a corporation. Winning briefs will be published in the Pace Environmental Law Review.

2008 - 2009 Finalists

First Place Team: Maryt Fredrickson, Temple Stevenson, and Christyne Martens

BROWN, DREW & MASSEY MOOT COURT COMPETITION

Vice President, Kerry Luck-Torry

The Young Lawyers Section of the Bar Association of the City of New York sponsors the National Moot Court Competition. Students write briefs and present oral arguments in a simulated appeal to the United States Supreme Court.  The College’s team, selected in an intra-school competition, participates in the regional competition.  Regional winners go to the national finals in New York City.  Students from the College of Law have also participated in recent years in the regional appellate advocacy competition sponsored by the American Bar Association.  The intra-school competition is sponsored by the Casper, Wyoming law firm of Brown, Drew & Massey.

2007 - 2008 Finalists

First Place Team:  Tara Hickerson, Matt Riehl, Zenith Ward

Second Place Team:  Jeanne Chamberlain, Jill Garrett, and Kellie Nelson

left to right: Jill Garrett, Zenith Ward, Tara Hickerson, Kellie Nelson,

Matt Riehl, and Jeanne Chamberlain

PENCE & MACMILLAN CLIENT COUNSELING COMPETITION

Vice President, Liz Bellamy

The Client Counseling Competition provides an opportunity for law students to develop valuable skills in interacting with and proposing solutions for clients.  Each team of two attorneys attempts to obtain the legally relevant information from the background factual context and then supplies the client with a preliminary summary of the client's legal position and the client's possible actions.  The competition emphasizes communication and other interpersonal skills essential to sound representation of clients.

The Laramie law firm of Pence & MacMillan sponsors the intra-school competition.

The National Client Counseling Competition is sponsored by the Law Student Division of the American Bar Association.

2007 - 2008 Finalists

First Place Team: Jodi Shea and Temple Stevenson

Second Place Team: Josh Tolin and Ryan Ford

left to right: Ryan Ford, Jodi Shea, Temple Stevenson, and Josh Tolin